341 lines
21 KiB
Plaintext
341 lines
21 KiB
Plaintext
Taming the Wild Kitty
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Running a Wildcat! 4 BBS
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Review by Jacci Howard Bear
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It's a jungle out there in the world of BBS software. Wildcat! 4.0
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is the newest breed of cat from Mustang Software, Inc. (MSI). Wildcat has
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fanatic fans and faultfinders. Because you choose your BBS software based on
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your own needs and the demands of your new or existing BBS, you should
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listen to both sides--what they say and what they don't say--then make the
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best choice for your own situation.
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Wildcat 4 easily molds itself to a variety of BBS configurations. It
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is simple enough for the beginning Sysop to setup and run in short order,
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yet powerful and flexible enough to meet the needs of the experienced BBS
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operator. It's not without a few oddities that might not suit
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everyone--we'll discuss some of those later. But mostly, I find it to be a
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great program.
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Explore the Jungle
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Before looking at specific BBS software choices, including Wildcat
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4, consider why you want a BBS. Software varies greatly in the way it
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handles files, messages, subscriptions, access, and multiple lines. Also
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consider how well it integrates with other programs you'll need such as
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games, databases, and faxes. What you want out of your BBS helps determine
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what software you need to put into it.
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There are two general types of bulletin board systems--hobby and
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professional. Within each type are many varieties.
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Amateur or Hobbyist. Many amateur boards have true "professional"
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Sysops. However, you will find that these boards are generally free or run
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on donations from callers. The BBS may be public--accepting any and all
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callers or a private board that you may never even know exists until the
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Sysop tells you about it and grants you access. These hobby boards may be
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"generalist" or cater to special interests.
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A common misconception is that all BBSs carry hundreds of files,
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games, and X-rated material. Nothing could be further from the truth. My own
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BBS is a free public board with only a handful of files (all rated G), no
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games, and a slant toward home business and desktop publishing. A local
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networking group also uses my board as an "on-line home." Other hobby boards
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may specialize in Genealogy or Country Music or live chat. Big or small,
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making money is not the purpose of a hobby BBS. It's pure pleasure or a
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"labor of love." On being a Sysop, Cathy Keller, of Austin, says, "I love
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it! It's nice giving something back to the community, and it's fun facing
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the vast assortment of challenges one finds as a Sysop."
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Professional or Business. Boards that charge fees, customer or
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technical support, and product information boards make up the other major
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classification of bulletin board systems. These are usually run by
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companies, and private networks for company employees or organization
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members. Some of the professional boards may operate exactly like the Hobby
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boards described above but charge a subscription or use a 900 number for
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access. Companies and organizations run a BBS network for employees or
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members or, as a way to disseminate company or product news. They may even
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take orders on-line.
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Panther, Lion, or Household Tabby
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Wildcat 4 comes in four versions--Single Line, MultiLine 10,
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MultiLine 250, and MultiLine Platinum. The version you need depends on the
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size and scope of your BBS as well as your equipment. The Wildcat 4 manual
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describes a number of typical BBS setups. Described here are three real BBSs
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using three different versions of Wildcat.
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My BBS, The Bear Necessities, running on a "homemade" 286 with 1 MB
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of RAM, uses the Single Line version. MSI recommends this version for the
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"entry level BBS for the small business person, hobbyist or special interest
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group." That fits my BBS perfectly. Cathy Keller runs two Wildcat 4 BBSs.
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Dingle Delaware uses the MultiLine 10 version, which can handle up to 4
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dial-in lines. An "all-purpose" BBS that covers a wide range of topics,
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multiple lines allow the BBS to accept more callers and callers get through
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to the BBS more easily (fewer busy signals). E-source, operated by the Texas
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General Land Office is "part of our efforts to make information easily
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available to the general public on such issues as recycling, alternative
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fuels, sustainable energy, etc." says Ms. Keller. This BBS runs on the
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MultiLine 250 version of Wildcat 4. It also can handle up to 4 dial-in lines
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and MSI recommends it for the "medium to large sized LAN E-mail or corporate
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communications system requiring b al network access ... and only a small
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number of dial-up lines." The MultiLine Platinum version is recommended for
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medium to large LAN E-mail or corporate communications. Or, for large
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multi-user public or private BBSs with up to 8 incoming telephone lines per
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workstation. The MultiLine Platinum works with a wider range of serial
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devices than the others and supports multiport serial boards.
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Ms. Keller believes that "there's a real misconception about Wildcat
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being only a package for hobbyists. It's very powerful for use within a
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business setting as well. Because of the ease of use, the callers to the
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business BBS perceive that you've gone the extra mile to accommodate them.
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... it's smart business using something that is easy, makes your customers
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feel comfortable, and that hasn't bankrupted you in the process."
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Let the Cat out of the Bag (or Box)
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With some software, installation and initial setup is the hardest
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part. With others, it's the only easy part of the process. Setting up a BBS
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requires careful use of resources and hardware. Do you have enough hard
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drive space? Memory? Will it work with your modem? Do you prefer a different
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directory structure? Are you running Windows or DESQview or OS/2 or on a
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network? Will it work with your other existing software such as that
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required for some mail gateways like Fido Net or Internet?
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Wildcat 4 offers menu-driven installation that does most of the work
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for you, yet allows you to customize directory names and control which files
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the program installs. As with any program, a basic understanding of
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DOS--especially editing your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files--is
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desirable. If you don't feel confident enough to do this on your own, find a
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friend to help you or buy a good book on DOS.
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Many Sysops consider the ability to customize their BBS the number
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one consideration when choosing BBS software. But custom-tailoring takes
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time and often a Sysop is in a hurry to get their new board on-line. Seeing
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and working with "live" menus, rather than just pictures in a manual, is
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also a good way to help you decide exactly how you want to change the look
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and feel of your BBS. Wildcat 4 comes with pre-configured screens and a
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"basic setup" that gets you up and running quickly. (The manual says "in 1
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hour or less." It took me a little longer than that but I encountered some
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special problems--described later.) Sooner or later though, you're going to
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want to ... customize!
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Put the Stripes or Spots on the Cat
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My old software was downright flexible. I could make my BBS look and
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act any number of ways. The problem was that I had to read volumes of
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instructions and then "hand write" the configuration files. That is, I
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created each custom menu or script in a generic text editor, with no on-line
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help, using cryptic commands that were (to me, anyway) less than obvious as
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to their use and purpose.
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On the other hand, Wildcat 4 makes customization easy with
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menu-driven configuration programs and a program for drawing great-looking
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screens. The Wildcat 4 manual is thorough in most areas; but, it doesn't go
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into enough detail about using the wcDRAW program (for drawing those great
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screens). I would welcome a separate manual with color screens and examples.
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Along with screens and menus, you may want to create access profiles
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(certain callers will have access to different parts of the BBS), special
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conference and file areas, bulletins, on-line questionnaires, and more. The
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easier it is to customize your BBS, the sooner you can turn your attention
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to enjoying your new board--knowing you have a truly unique
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system--different from all the others in town.
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Menus. Menus are screens that allow the caller to navigate your
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system. In Wildcat 4 a menu item can display a text file such as a news
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bulletin or newsletter, go to another menu, perform built-in functions
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including file uploads, downloads, scanning conferences for messages, and
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more. Each menu can have its own RIP, ANSI, ASCII, or a generic dynamic
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display screen. You can hide certain commands and areas of your BBS from all
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or some callers through the use of security profiles. Each security profile
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can have their own tailor-made menus up to a maximum of 650 menus.
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Bulletins & Newsletters. The Sysop creates these special text files
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and displays them to callers either automatically or as a menu choice.
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Bulletins might contain helpful advice about your system, business,
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organization, or anything you wish.
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Questionnaires. Wildcat 4 has 4 types of questionnaires. You can
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edit the existing questionnaires or create your own. Some uses for
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questionnaires include on-line order entry, surveys, voting, and gathering
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addresses, phone numbers, and other caller information.
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Messages. One of the most fascinating and fun features of a bulletin
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boards system is the message capabilities. Through messages written on-line,
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you can get to know your callers or they can meet other callers to your
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board. If you join a network, then you can exchange messages with other
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people in the network--across town or across the globe. A BBS may have both
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local conferences that exist only on that BBS, plus "echo" conferences that
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include messages from users throughout the network on other BBSs.
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Wildcat 4 supports up to 32,760 message conferences with up to
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65,520 messages per conference. (More than I'll ever need!) Message
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conference types include public and private messages, Fido Net-style private
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netmail, Internet E-Mail, and public Usenet Newsgroup messages. Users can
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scan and mark messages based on sender, receiver, subject, text, message
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number, and conference. The message editors (for entering new messages or
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replies) support spellchecking and quoting. You can setup message
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conferences on an individual basis to allow forwarding, carbon copies,
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return receipts, and file attachments. They can also be Read Only, Write
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Only, Join Only or any of the three combined. Also, each message conference
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can have its own set of bulletins, menus, questionnaires, help files, and
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display screens.
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Files. Considered the "most important feature" by many BBS callers,
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some Sysops take great pride in providing callers with the largest number of
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downloadable files possible. The more files that are available to callers,
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the greater the need for software that makes it easy for users to search and
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find specific files and download them. It must also be easy for the Sysop to
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add, delete, inspect, and move files, and edit file names and descriptions.
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If the software you are considering has limited file management
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capabilities, look for the existence of third party utilities that add these
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enhancements.
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Like message conferences, Wildcat 4 handles a maximum of 32,760 file
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areas and a mind-boggling total of 2 billion files. The file areas feature
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the most popular transfer protocols and support for external protocols.
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Files can have short and long file descriptions. A thumbnail option allows
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preview of GIF files. Multi-changer CD-ROM support extends your file areas
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beyond the limits of your hard drive. Other features include indexing; virus
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scan; password protection; duplicate file names; and built-in support for
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FILE_ID.DIZ and DESC.SDI.
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Ms. Keller calls the underlying structure of Wildcat 4's message and
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file databases "a double-edged sword." She cites fast scanning of message
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and file areas as a plus for the user. On the other hand, the way the it
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builds message areas makes nightly maintenance almost a requirement. In my
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own case, my BBS computer has a small hard drive. With hundreds of messages
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coming in daily it fills up fast. Although MSI does provide utilities for
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trimming back the messages it doesn't provide a way to trim messages "on the
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fly"--replacing older messages with newer ones rather than just adding to
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the database.
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Multiple Wildcat-egories
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Wildcat 4's security profiles are one of its most valuable features.
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At first I didn't understand their full potential but the more I work with
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the software the more I learn. With security profiles you can customize your
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BBS for a variety of purposes and users. Based on their security profile,
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you can give one group of users access to certain message or file areas only
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or just certain functions. With up to 1000 security profiles available, you
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could make it appear that you are running 1000 different BBSs! As an
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example, perhaps you want to run a BBS for your Cross-stitch Club and
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another BBS with on-line games and technical computer discussion areas--both
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using the same phone number, computer, and software. By assigning the
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members of your Cross-stitch Club one security profile, and the game
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players/computer buffs another profile you can hide portions of the BBS from
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each group. The menus, bulletins, available file areas, and message
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conferences would appear different to each t caller.
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Dog & Cat Fights
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At some point, or from the beginning, you may want to expand your
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BBS to include a message or file network such as Fido Net, Postlink, or the
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Internet. These networks consist of message conferences or groups of files
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that Sysops transfer among all BBSs that belong to that network. Callers to
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your BBS can read and post their own messages to the conferences that the
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network then routes from system to system. Some networks cover small
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geographic areas or have set discussion subjects. Others may be
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international in scope or carry hundreds of topics. The file networks allow
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you to receive automatically certain types of files or request specific
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files.
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If this type of expansion is important to you--be aware that not all
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BBS software packages meet the specific requirements that some networks
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place on message formats or transfer methods. Or, they may require extra
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programs to work right. I found out almost immediately that Wildcat 4 is not
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"Fido-friendly" straight out of the box. When I started The Bear
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Necessities, I knew I wanted to connect to Fido Net--one of the oldest
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volunteer networks in the world. The author of my original BBS software
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specifically designed it to handle Fido Net messaging requirements and to
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work flawlessly with a number of other programs required for network
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compatibility.
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Wildcat 4 will work with Fido Net netmail and echo mail. But it
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needs help. A small but growing number of utilities are available from other
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vendors--most are shareware--that handle the special needs of Fido Net plus
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work with Wildcat. Help with connecting to most networks has to come from
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other Sysops. The MSI support staff can't provide much help on that front.
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But there are a lot of Wildcat Sysops out there willing to assist. If you
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now use an earlier version of Wildcat, you may find that your current
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utilities (front-end, mail tosser, etc.) will need upgrading to work with
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the significant changes in Wildcat 4.
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The recent deluge of books, articles, and television shows about the
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"Information Superhighway" has many new and old Sysops itching to explore
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one of its main thoroughfares--the Internet. MSI offers an add-on program
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for Wildcat 4 called wcGATE. This program, coupled with a UUCP account from
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an Internet provider makes Internet E-mail, Usenet Newsgroups, and uuencoded
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file transfers available to the Wildcat 4 BBS. wcGATE also works with
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Novels' MHS server for MHS E-mail and file attaches.
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Free Kittens
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In addition to the wcDRAW program mentioned earlier, Wildcat 4 has
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other essential utility programs that make setup, maintenance, and operation
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easier. wcMAIL is a QWK-compatible mail door that creates packets of
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messages, bulletins, and file lists for callers to download and read
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off-line with their favorite QWK mail reader. wcFILE handles maintenance of
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the file areas while you use wcPACK to trim the number of messages by date
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or number. wcMODEM helps set up your modem to work with Wildcat 4. wcCHAT is
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the program for live chat between users (on a multi-line/multi-node system).
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wcECHO gives you the ability to participate in echomail systems that use the
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QWK-style message networking. These programs are all part of the Wildcat 4
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package.
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Kittens for Sale
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MSI provides some utility programs for separate purchase to expand
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the capabilities of your BBS. In addition to the wcGATE software for
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Internet/MHS, there is wcPRO with wcFAX that adds more powerful database
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functions to manage your user records, files, messages, and more. The wcFAX
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program adds fax-on-demand capabilities. Another powerful program that
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benefits every Wildcat 4 Sysop--whether they have the program or not--is
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wcCODE. It is a development tool that allows Sysops to write programs for
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their own BBS or to give (or sell) to other Sysops. Ms. Keller notes that
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"there are legions of Wildcat Sysops writing wcCODE applications to fill in
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whatever gaps one may feel there are with Wildcat 4. They're easy to
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implement and many of them are either free or exceptionally low cost."
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When Kitty Ignores the Litter Box
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Even the best software in the world has its "bad hairball days."
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Because your callers, your business, or your club depend on your BBS, you
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need to know that help is readily available when things go wrong.
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MSI makes help easy to find. On MSI's own Wildcat BBS I found the
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guidance and programs I needed to connect my Wildcat BBS to Fido Net. I've
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also found answers in the Mustang Software section of CompuServe. Mustang
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has support sections on Genie and America On-line too. They also have an
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Internet mailing address for tech support, a voice support number, and their
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own MSI SupportNET echo conferences carried on boards around the world. You
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not only get fast, friendly support from their own staff, but in the on-line
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conferences you can share experiences with hundreds of other new and
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experienced Wildcat Sysops.
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A Wild, Wild Ride
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I wish I could say that the switch from my previous software to
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Wildcat 4 was seamless and painless, for my callers and myself. The Fido Net
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connection problems caused a few extra gray hairs. However, the installation
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of Wildcat 4 and setting up the basic operation of the BBS couldn't have
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been easier. Like some other powerful programs I've reviewed, I found myself
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caught up in some of the "fun" features and trying to use utilities that I
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hadn't taken time to study. Now I'm ready to slow down, take my time, and
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fully explore this feature-rich program. The mail is flowing so now it's
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time to "make it pretty" too.
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I just celebrated my first anniversary as a Sysop and I look forward
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to my first anniversary as a Wildcat Sysop. Perhaps later on, I can bring
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you some more tales about my jungle explorations and Wildcat encounters. As
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a longtime user of Wildcat 3 and 4, Cathy Keller guided me through some of
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the steps of switching to Wildcat. She tells me, "this is going to sound
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sappy, but I'm really proud to be a Wildcat Sysop." She and I both happily
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recommend it to any new or experienced Sysop. But, like any software
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package, choose it because it has the features you need--not just because it
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gets rave reviews.
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Wildcat! Single Line (version reviewed)
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Recommended Software:
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DOS 3.3 or higher
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Recommended Hardware:
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IBM AT or true compatible, 512K RAM, high density floppy, 15 MB hard drive space, RS232 serial port with external modem and cable or internal modem, voice grade telephone line.
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Wildcat! MultiLine 10 and 250
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Recommended Software:
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DOS 3.3 or higher, DESQview 386, OS/2, or Windows, for multiple lines on one PC. Network applications require Novell Netware or LAN software that uses DOS SHARE for file and record locking.
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Recommended Hardware:
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Multitasking on a single PC: 386-33mhz or higher with 1-2 MB RAM per dial-in node, hard drive.
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LAN connections: IBM AT or true compatible, 512K RAM, no floppy required.
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A serial port and external modem or internal modem and voice grade telephone line is required for each incoming modem connection.
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Wildcat! MultiLine Platinum
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Recommended Software:
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DOS 3.3 or higher, DESQview 386, OS/2, or Windows, for multiple lines on one PC. Network applications require Novell Netware or LAN software that uses DOS SHARE for file and record locking.
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Recommended Hardware:
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Minimum 486-33, 8-16 MB RAM, hard drive. Serial I/O boards required to run 8 lines are PC/8e or PC/8i Digiboard with connecting cable or multi-port serial card that is FOSSIL compatible. An external modem and voice grade telephone line are required for each incoming modem connection.
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Mustang Software, Inc.
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6200 Lake Ming Road
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Bakersfield, CA 93303
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805-873-2500
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Send your postal name, address, city, state, zip to 25prod@supportu.com
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for product literature to be sent to you via postal mail.
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